


red-eyed monster

by haftsuka



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Jealousy, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haftsuka/pseuds/haftsuka
Summary: Ace doesn't like hearing about the world Yuu comes from anymore.
Relationships: Ace Trappola/Yuu | Player
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	red-eyed monster

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday ace sorry for thinking you weren't good at math
> 
> inspired from 嫉妬心 by *Luna IT'S A GOOD SONG tell ya friends 
> 
> (no beta i did this in a rush)

Ace is a reliable friend, a fun playmate, and a powerful conversationalist. Despite sometimes being dragged into the trouble that tends to follow Ace everywhere, Yuu holds him in high esteem. There's been more than a few times where he's bailed her out of tough situations, though he'll ask for something in return more often than not. Like Deuce, he's been someone that Yuu feels she can lean on whenever in need of support. 

There's just one thing that he _hates_ hearing about: Yuu's original world.

It hasn't always been like that. In fact, there have been a number of times in the past where Yuu has brought up old traditions and Ace nodded along, clearly listening intently to what she had to share. Yuu isn't sure where the change came from or when. It's very certain, however, that there has been a change.

Sitting cross-legged at a table at Ramshackle Dorm, Yuu opens her mouth, pen in hand but not anywhere near a notebook. "When I was in middle school, my friends and I would--" she begins.

Ace cuts in. "We've already heard enough about that. You're gonna bore everyone here."

The atmosphere suddenly goes tense, and even Deuce who had been scribbling furiously away in a notebook stops for a second. He looks up at Ace, an evaluating look on his face. Then he goes back to fully copying a mathematical explanation in his textbook.

Underneath the table, Ace closes a fist over the fabric of his pants, squeezing it tightly in his fingers. His chest does not rise or fall, his body completely frozen in that moment.

The heavy air clears, however, when Yuu laughs. Her eyebrows knit tight as she bursts into giggles that bubble from her throat and leave her lips like the ringing of bells. 

"Sorry," is her one word apology. She tucks her chin in. Her smile fades for the most part but still plays on the corners of her lips.

Ace doesn't miss the lack of eye contact. He feels a needle prick at the subtle hurt that briefly flashes on Yuu's expression, but the conversation is suddenly propelled in a different direction when Deuce raises his head and asks the meaning of the explanation he had just copied.

The study session ends without incident afterwards, and Deuce is the first one to pack up and leave before lights out. Grim wanders upstairs to take a catnap. Ace, though, lingers for a few moments. Yuu holds a candlestick and frowns before Ace sighs and lights it with a flick of his wrist, magipen in hand. He sits back down on the couch and pats it, guiding Yuu to join him. 

"Don't you have to get back?" Yuu asks, blinking.

"Yeah, but what's a few extra minutes?" Ace replies with a conspiratorial grin. "We didn't get much time to talk with Deuce around."

When Yuu moves to sit down he puts an arm around her and pulls her close. She's short enough for him to lay his chin on top of her head. 

"Ah yes, the perfect headrest," Ace jokes.

"Dude, I've got an open flame right here," Yuu sulks. "What were you gonna do if I accidentally lit your hair on fire?"

"You wouldn't," Ace replies simply, flexing his fingers around Yuu's waist.

Yuu just gives a slow shake of her head and sets down the candle. The sparse light flickers over her features, her face seemingly different each moment.

"Don't you have any good memories from here?" Ace asks.

Yuu looks up at Ace, eyes wide. "What?"

Ace averts his gaze and purses his lips. "You always talk about people I've never even met," he says. He also adds on, "This isn't a request to talk about the guys here I do know."

Yuu smiles at that. 

"You're funny, Ace," she replies. "Of course I have good memories. I'm sure that this will become a good one, too."

She wiggles free of Ace's grip, earning a sullen look from him until she scoots close again to kick her feet up and lay her head on Ace's shoulder. She loops an arm around Ace's and squeezes his hand.

Ace's blood goes hot at the intimacy. He sighs in satisfaction as he leans back into Yuu's warmth. They sit there for a bit before Yuu speaks up.

"You and Deuce are my dearest friends," she says. "In this world and my own, too."

In that second Ace wants to burst into derisive laughter. It's like ice is being hammered into his chest. The feeling is too overwhelming; he pulls away from Yuu to stand, couch springs creaking as he moves. There's a question in her eyes as she watches him do it, shifting to regain balance.

"Forgot that Deuce wanted to look at some more math problems before bed," Ace says, scratching his neck. "Gotta get back to the dorm."

He can feel the frown on his mouth and apparently it's enough to make Yuu's face fall. The idea of having leverage over someone who held so much emotional sway inside himself sends shivers down Ace's spine.

"See you in class, then," she replies.

"Yeah, yeah," he responds flippantly while waving a hand. He goes out the door and when it clicks closed, Yuu is left alone with a single flame. It casts the empty Ramshackle Dorm in long shadows that jump as the flame of the candle sways. Yuu feels much smaller, alone in the living room. She stays still in thought for a few more moments before picking up the candle holder and creaking her way up the stairs to join Grim.

When it's morning, Ace is back at Ramshackle Dorm with Deuce to grab Yuu. They don't bother knocking. The doorknob on the door is shabby enough that Yuu hasn't tried to lock it before.

"You should probably start locking that door one of these days," Deuce says after greeting her. 

"Why? So you guys can't get in?" Yuu laughs while elbowing Deuce.

"No. So other guys can't," Ace cuts in, drawing silent stares from both Deuce and Yuu.

"It's a fair point," Deuce replies and shrugs his shoulders. "Would Grim be able to protect you if anything happened?"

"Of course I would! Just who do you think you're talking to?!" Grim snaps at Deuce, headbutting his leg. 

Deuce flinches back at the contact and hastily brushes his pants leg off. When he turns back to Grim, there's a hint of the old delinquent in his stone-cold expression. "What were you gonna do if you burned my uniform, huh?"

Grim grumbles to himself. "Don't just switch gears like that," he shouts before his face lights up with victory. He continues, "What were you gonna do if you scared Yuu?"

Deuce gasps, hands over his mouth. He whips his head over to Yuu, who is looking very over the whole situation. 

Maintaining small talk, the trio all head into class and regroup when it's lunchtime. Countless students fill the halls as people noisily leave their classes to head into the cafeteria and get their lunches. 

Ace, Grim and Deuce are ruthless in their pursuit of getting only the finest of sandwiches and Yuu is merely strung along in their antics before they finally take their seat at their usual table in the cafeteria. Yuu sighs with relief as soon as she's able to sit down. Ace and Deuce both click their trays down on the table, Ace to Yuu's left and Deuce to her right. Across from them, Grim scrambles his way up the chair to release the sandwich wedged between his teeth.

There's only sounds of ripping plastic and clicking utensils before the meal starts. Between good friends, conversation isn't a necessity. It is, however, unusual for Ace not to be the first to break the silence. Instead, the quiet is broken when Cater shows up behind Grim after the four start eating, brandishing his smartphone as always. 

"Hi, guys!" Cater smiles behind the device. He hurriedly taps some kind of message on the screen with a thumb.

"Cater?" Ace and Deuce both call his name at the same time, surprise written on their faces. They didn't spend too much time with the Heartslabyul upperclassmen when they didn't have to, though it wasn't exactly out of disdain or anything of the sort.

"Oh, it's Cater," Grim notes before stuffing his face again.

"Hey, how's it going, you three?" Cater waves and greets the trio. "Mind if I borrow your cute little prefect?"

Ace stiffens as soon as Cater says 'cute.' For a moment, his thoughts are pushed aside as insults spill from his mouth. "Her? Apologies for being frank, but did you break your eyes staring at that phone screen all the time?"

He gets a knock on the head for that from Deuce. Ace winces and covers the hit area with a palm. Even knocked down a peg, he sullenly keeps working at his meal.

"You better ask Yuu, not us," Deuce says.

Yuu, who had been watching the boys' interaction, is covering her mouth as if she wanted to keep herself from laughing. Her eyes are cast downward until Deuce brings her up in conversation. Shyly, she raises her gaze to Deuce then Cater.

"What do you need me for?" she asks innocently.

"Come with me and you'll find out," Cater replies. 

He tilts his head towards Ace and Deuce. "It'll be easier to talk without your two guard dogs."

Ace chews and swallows before opening his mouth. "Are you talking about us?" His voice is flat.

Cater has circled the table to Yuu now. He has both hands on her shoulders, slowly pulling her to her feet. "Only if you think I am."

Deuce has a blank look on his face at Cater's suggestion. There's a silence at the table before Ace slams his hand onto the surface. The laughter comes afterwards from Ace, startling everyone else.

"You're so funny, senpai!" Ace roars. He stops to wipe a tear from an eye, shoulders shaking. "Feel free to do what you want. It's not like we own her."

Deuce watches as Yuu gets lead away by Cater.

"Do we really look like guard dogs?" he asks while looking at Grim. He looks at Ace and freezes. Ace's face is completely devoid of expression, save for the dangerous glint in his eye.

"He's not far from the bullseye," Grim says and shakes his furry head.

"Shut _up_ , guys," Ace cuts back. He's buried his face in his hands.

Ace has to shake his head to bring himself out of the stupor. His mind is with Yuu, almost as if Cater had pulled him along with her. 

"We're going after them," Ace announces, sliding his chair out from the table.

"Us? After them?" Deuce stutters. "That's eavesdropping."

"Glad you're familiar with the concept," Ace replies with a roll of the eyes. "You can stay here if you want to be a straight-laced lameass. You too, Grim."

Ace doesn't wait for a response before he's grabbed his things to give chase in the direction Cater and Yuu disappeared in. There's some winding through the crowd of students, but he catches a glance of the two right before they slip out the door towards the courtyard.

Deuce grabs Ace's arm. He's huffing from trying to catch up to Ace. Grim is on his shoulder. "Where'd they go?"

"The courtyard," Ace replies. He gestures for them to follow him. "Come on."

The hustle and bustle dies out a little as they get closer to the exit, but by the time they've reached the courtyard, there's still a decent amount of people walking around or just seated on the grass. Ace watches Cater as he guides Yuu to a shaded area and leans over to whisper in her ear. Ace inches close enough to hide behind a nearby pillar and Deuce and Grim follow.

When Cater pulls back, his conversational voice is carried to them on the wind. "So there's this single's party I'm trying to set up..." 

Ace and Deuce share a glance. "What?"

Grim grumbles at the back of his throat next to Deuce's ear, startling the boy. "Youngins these days. It's a matchmaking event."

Ace closes his hand over Grim's maw to cut off the noise. "Yeah, we got that." He ignores Grim's muffled objections.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to come," Cater continues. "You're single, right? I know some--"

Ace's heartbeat is pounding a mile per minute at this point. All he can hear is the flow of blood rushing to his head as he jumps out from behind the pillar and storms over to Cater.

"Hey, don't hit on Yuu," Ace shouts while stepping inbetween the two. Despite his words being directed at Cater, he's turned his neck to look back at Yuu.

"Ah~" Cater palms his neck, smile strained. He doesn't look entirely surprised at the development. He fiddles with his phone before clicking it off. He turns his back to Ace. 

"I'll send you the details over text," Cater calls out to Yuu while walking away.

Yuu, stunned into silence for the entirety of Cater's exit, looks at Ace with disappointment. "You followed us?"

Ace steps back, momentarily daunted by the question. He opens his mouth and closes it. He finally laughs nervously, fingers fiddling with the edges of his glove. 

Yuu simply shakes her head. 

It's not just Ace's face that is flush now - his whole body grows hot from embarrassment at his outburst. He's shaking, imperceptively. An itch is growing from the vulnerability he feels in the moment. The itch is underneath his skin, buried too deep inside him to scratch. So he does the only thing he can do.

He gets mad at Yuu.

"Why did you walk off with Cater in the first place?" he snaps. "Are you really going to go to his stupid 'single's party'?"

Yuu's hands are bundled into fists at her sides. Her bottom lip trembles as she glares at Ace. "So what if I do? That's my decision, isn't it?"

He can see it, the hurt peeking out from underneath the surface. He'd been the one putting the drops in the bucket, after all. He sees it and he still steamrolls forward.

"Well, go ahead, princess," he shoots back, voice taut. "Have fun soaking up all that attention you're so desperate to have."

Ace hears a sharp clap and suddenly his vision shifts. It takes a moment for it to register he'd been slapped. His hand flies up to his cheek. He watches in disbelief as Yuu runs off in the opposite direction.

"You really got what you were asking for," Deuce says in amazement after walking over to Ace from his hiding spot. "You okay?"

Ace crouches down, cradling his face in his hands. Grim jumps down from Deuce's shoulder to give him a reassuring pat on the knee.

* * *

Somehow, a kind of inner calm is instilled in Yuu after she finally is able to let out the upset that had been building up in her. It hurt to see her close friend slowly change while bearing the burden of a nebulous feeling that it was because of her, all while having no way of changing it. Now, though, she sees the situation for what it is: the immature jealousy of a boy who hasn't ever had to properly feel out that brand of emotion before. "You need some time away from those two boys, and especially Ace," Cater had whispered in her ear. He was right.

Yuu has these thoughts while hugging her knees, seated on top of a toilet lid. She hears flushing from the stalls around her as students wrap up their business to head off to class. That's when her phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out to have a look and sees Cater's name on the display.

\-- "These are the two lovely ladies I'm hosting the party for!"

The selfie Cater sends is of two... well, pictures, as well as himself. There certainly are ladies depicted in the photo, but they are two-dimensional pieces of art. Still, they are smiling with Cater as if he'd prompted them to with a 'cheese!' It's a strange sight and Yuu can't help but giggle to herself. 

Someone clears their throat outside the stall. Yuu hurriedly pockets her phone, heading out before she can hog the toilet any longer. She has an athletics class to get to, after all, and the sports field is a bit of a walk to get to.

On her way over, Yuu superimposes the smile in Cater's selfie over the face he had when Ace stepped between the two of them. There was a powerful disinterest in his eyes as he frowned. It was the kind of look that would make most people shrink away as if burned. The sight lent Yuu a peek into a part of the Heartslabyul third-year that she had never seen before. She wanted to know more.

She pulls out her phone and texts a reply to Cater.

\-- "Looking forward to meeting them!"

* * *

Yuu is shocked when she opens the double doors to the library. The usual shine from the chandeliers that illuminate the room have been dulled into a soft glow from overhead. A sharp but less far-reaching light is coming from newly decorated string lights that wind through the furnishings of the place. Yuu follows them with her eyes before realizing they're a guide, all of them strung up in different places but all leading to the same place. As she strolls in that very direction, a gentle melody begins to flow into her ears along with the low mumble of voices in conversation. Eventually, Yuu stumbles on the sources of those voices in a walled-off corner of the library. 

Cater peeks his head through the stacks of books that served as an impromptu wall screen and smiles up to his eyes. 

"Hey, you made it!" he greets Yuu, waving her inside. "Come on in."

Yuu lingers for a moment before side-stepping her way inside, careful not to knock over the stacks of books that stood tall, connecting two of the library's high-reaching shelves into a closed-off space. She almost gasps when she finally gets a look at what's inside. The space is brightly lit by the fairy lights that all curl around two paintings, both of smiling women. The beauty they possess is ethereal, that of bloomed flowers carefully plucked from a different era altogether and preserved for all of eternity. It's almost uncanny when set side-by-side with the calm modern electronic music Cater has set on a speaker. When Yuu puts her hand to the canvassed surface of one, the image stirs to look in her direction. 

"Ah, you're the one Cater was talking about!" the painting exclaims. "Pardon my manners. My name is Mary."

"Oh, and you've beat me to the chase," the painting beside Mary whines, startling Yuu in the process. "It's very nice to meet you after hearing so much. My name is Katherine!"

The two paintings curtsy toward Yuu and she returns the favor, bewildered. It's only until Cater's shoulder brushes against hers that she realizes he was standing next to her. There's a sparkle in his eyes, directed toward the two ladies. All at once, Yuu realizes the real reason she was invited. 

"I'm glad I came here," Yuu says. "It's hard to find other women in this school."

"Good lord, isn't it? I don't mind the current student body, don't misunderstand," Mary says. "But there's something so relieving about seeing another young lady. And such a pretty one, too! I'm glad Cater followed through on his promise of bringing you here for us."

Without meaning to, a corner of Yuu's lips pulls up as she peeks up at Cater's face. He looks slightly flustered at having had his secret spilled from one of the painted women. When he returns Yuu's look, though, he's already regained his composure. 

"I saw the video on Magicam. Have you talked to Ace at all afterwards?" he asks.

Of course. It's very Cater for him to know what's going on before Yuu can even explain. And someone had recorded her and Ace's exchange? She withered a little on the inside. 

Yuu simply shakes her head, a frown on her face. "Why would I?" Her eyes are cast downwards toward the wood grain of the flooring. "If he's so mad at me, he can go stew in that anger all by himself."

"Let me tell you something," Cater says. He puts both hands on either of her shoulders and gives them a gentle squeeze. Yuu raises her head to look Cater in the eyes. "Even if you don't want to talk to Ace, I think he wants to talk to you."

He pulls back, this time to give her a proper smile as he pinches a strand of his hair between his fingers. "But it's all up to you when or if you're going to. Why not stay a little longer with me and these girls? They get tired of me if I don't promise to bring someone else along."

Yuu's hand hovers her shoulder where Cater just touched. She knows what he really means in the end. That's why she smiles and nods, the promise of a later confrontation hovering over her.

When all of the string lights have come down at the hand of Cater clones and a wave of the wand has brought the chandelier lights back to their usual shine, Yuu says a small goodbye to her new friends and her senpai and leaves the library to begin her long walk back to Ramshackle Dorm. Cater offered one of his clones to walk her back, but she simply shook her head as she held the library door. She wanted time to think. And certainly the walk is long enough for Yuu to collect her thoughts.

In the end, Ace's friendship is important to her. It occurs to Yuu, though, that the jealousy that Ace is probably feeling isn't that of a _friend's_. This is something she'd never seen before in Ace, a dark and viscous feeling that settles wrong in your stomach. Is that why Ace looks so twisted up inside when he throws insults her way? Yuu doesn't have any plans to tolerate the nonsense she suffers at his hands, but she also can't stop herself from caring. 

Before she knows it, Yuu catches a view of the old and weathered exterior of the Ramshackle Dorm. She hurries up the incline as quick as she can, every huff from her mouth becoming small puffs of white in the cold night air. There's a faint light shining from the living room window. Is Grim waiting for her? If so, it's probably because he wants her to serve him up some tuna. Still, there's the irrational but unshakable feeling that someone else is there instead.

Yuu almost trips over a pebble in the Ramshackle Dorm as she rushes towards the door. She stops to regain her balance and her breath then slowly approaches the Ramshackle Dorm entrance, hand moving toward the door knob. She hears a floorboard creak inside. Yuu shakes her head and opens the door, stepping into the inky expanse of the lonely building that her home becomes only when the sun falls over the horizon. 

There's a filter of unfamiliarity over the sight of the hallway of the dorms that reminds Yuu of the very first time she had been introduced to the building, nearly a half a year ago. She hadn't even taken the time to properly give it a look when she first entered, as it didn't take a close look to know that the place was dilapidated. Still, with plenty of sweat, a little blood and endless tears, Yuu managed to fix things up and carve a home in this unfamiliar world. But like most things in Twisted Wonderland, Yuu wouldn't have managed the Herculean task on her own.

Ace is standing in the living room when Yuu turns the corner, impatience clearly written on his face. "Took you long enough. I let myself in since you're so okay with letting just anyone into your little dorm."

Ace's usually perfectly gelled-up hair is mussed, and the candles he likely set out are half-burned away, wax set at the base in a pool.

"Good to see you're as sullen as before," Yuu deadpans as she sets her bag on a nearby table. "And the only people I 'let' in are you and Deuce, contrary to your belief."

"Oh yeah?" Ace cuts back. "Then why is the door open for anyone to just waltz in? Grim went asleep upstairs after I opened up a can of tuna for him. Anyone could do that, and then you're defenseless!"

"I think that's because Grim trusts you... Probably," Yuu trails off. She isn't entirely sure if Grim would stick around for her safety if given the right amount of tuna, actually.

"I know you're going to leave me eventually, Yuu," Ace says and smiles now, the lips of his softly turned upwards. His eyes are dark as he closes the distance between them. "But why would you choose to leave me when you're still here?"

"Ace, you're acting--"

"I _know_!" He shouts, his face flushing with fury. He slams his palms at either side of Yuu's head, wood shuddering from the impact.

"I'm not acting like how I usually do," he huffs. "But this is the person you've made me."

He lowers his eyes to the floor until his fringe obscures the whole of his expression. Yuu stands there for a few moments, silent. When Ace looks back up, he inches close enough for their eyelashes to touch. Close up, there are faint freckles dusted over Ace's nose that Yuu never noticed before. Before she can stop herself, her eyes are sliding down to Ace's lips to find them parted, panting light breaths over her skin. She feels sparks wherever the warmth from his lungs dances over her flesh despite the heavy atmosphere of the situation.

When she looks up, eyes watering but not unafraid, Ace freezes, his body steeling head to toe. He finally sighs, the source of his discontent unclear. He lowers a hand until it caresses Yuu's cheek. He doesn't hesitate to close the rest of the distance, eyes half-lidded as if he were in a trance. When Ace's lips meet Yuu's, the heat is the first thing that Yuu registers. Compared to hers, Ace's lips are feverish. She has to gulp down a sweet sigh before Ace swallows it down himself, as he pries her mouth open to slide his tongue inside. He continues exploring the inside of her mouth until Yuu's grip on his uniform lapels flattens into her palms, pressing hard on Ace's chest. 

When they part from the kiss, Ace is red from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. It's a completely unfamiliar sight that Yuu stops mid-gasp to watch, wide-eyed. Ace's eyes become saucers, too, under her gaze. He unsteadily takes a step back, the flooring creaking underneath his shoe. He takes in a gulp of air before straightening. And he grins, a big, crooked smile that is malicious to the core.

"Hah, had you fooled, didn't I?" he spits out. "Well, I was trying to keep you on your toes and it seems it didn't work. You really need to start putting some walls up, starting today." 

Ace begins to walk in a stride to the front door. He puts his hand on the knob and turns it to open the door a crack, but before he's fully out the door, he flicks the lock. "The first step is locking the door so bad guys like me can't come in, all right?" 

The door creaks closed in the second it takes for Ace to slam the door shut and storm off.

Yuu holds her fingers to her lips as if to confirm what just happened was actually real. With Ace gone, the only trace of his presence is the lingering warmth on Yuu's skin.

The next morning, Ace finds himself at Yuu's front door out of habit despite the long trip he has to take to arrive. His hand hovers over Ramshackle Dorm's door knocker before it falls back to rest at his side. Surely, though, the real reason for his showing up here is one thing and one thing only: that he owes Yuu an apology. That would explain the sweets he has packed away in his bag that just happen to be Yuu's favorite. That would explain the sour expression he has on, the kind that he always wears when he finds out he can't argue in his favor anymore. In the first place, Ace isn't used to being the one forced to say sorry. When it came to his middle school years, he was popular enough that other people came to him to apologize or just left his life without any lasting consequences that he couldn't turn a blind eye to. His big brother always ended up being scolded by his parents to show a good example. It made it easier for him to take it easy when he wanted to, though his brother had his sour moods he had to deal with too. When he thinks that this was the feeling and his brother and former friends had to go through every time they tried to suck up to him, he can't help but shake his head. It's not like him to put himself in other people's shoes like that. In the end, Ace walks his own path and he isn't interested in letting other people change that. Save for a select few.

Ace finally steels himself and grips the door knocker to give a few slams to the door. He doesn't bother to try the door knob, instead electing to wait for Yuu if she ever does decide to come open the door. He figures he can play the long game if he has to since Yuu isn't the type to miss class even when she desperately has something she wants to avoid. In the meantime, he opens up Magicam to mindlessly scroll through his feed. That's when he stumbles on an update from Cater.

It's one of Cater's usual selfies, but Yuu's in it along with two paintings each holding up peace signs. The post is marked #SinglesClub #2Dand3Dgirls #PartyintheLibrary.

Ace barely holds himself back from bashing his head into the nearest wall.

Ace still didn't like that Cater dragged Yuu out into the edge of the courtyard to whisper in her ear, but it's clear now that what he was doing wasn't explicitly romantic. This specific upperclassman is the overly friendly sort and Ace blinded himself to that fact from the jealousy. Wait, _jealousy_? No way. No way. Ace is crouched down in the entrance now, head in his hands. There could be steam raising from his face from how hot it is. A low groan raises from Ace's throat. 

Just then, a ping comes from his hand. Ace returns his gaze to his phone to see a chat notification. It's from Yuu. Ace hesitates at first, wary of opening up the chat to see exactly what Yuu sent him. As far as he can tell from his notifications, Yuu sent him an image, but there isn't a thumbnail for him to tell what it is. Ace shakes his head, frustration over his own indecision winning over any worries he might have. When he pulls up the chat he has with Yuu, he's greeted with a selfie.

Yuu's smiling with the same paintings in Cater's post, the angle now with Yuu in the front. There's a grin on her face, a grin that he feels he's rarely been able to see lately. It's an expression he'd like to see directed at him. Ace looks up from his phone to peer through the thin windows decorating the entrance door. He's greeted by the sight of Yuu fiddling with her phone. When she notices him, she waves at him and gives him a wink. Ace just stays crouched there, stunned.

His phone vibrates a few more times with the ping of new messages. He puts his face to his smartphone screen again and swallows at what he sees. 

They're photos of them together, photos they'd taken throughout the half-year they spent together. Every second, his phone pings with a new image of a different memory from a different time. The earliest one is a selfie they took after overcoming the trials at Dwarfs' Mine. The latest one is from a study session they had that had turned into a movie watching party. From passing moments to real milestones, the photos Yuu sends Ace are that of friends who have been through thick and thin. Slowly, Ace straightens his legs out until he's back to his full height. Ace is the one to open the door standing between the two of them.

"That's all that you've got?" Ace says when his eyes meet Yuu's.

"What?" Yuu looks down at her phone, scrolling through the gallery of pictures she'd sent Ace. "I sent you thirty-five photos."

"You've got to have more than thirty-five memories of us," Ace replies, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Let's make the goal one-hundred."

He pulls Yuu by her hand until they're shoulder to shoulder and raises his phone, camera application displaying the pair's faces on the smartphone screen. Yuu flutters her eyelashes, struggling to get herself into a photogenic position, but Ace grabs Yuu's chin to turn her face. There's a flash and the sound of a camera shutter as his lips meet her cheek.

"That makes it thirty-six," Ace jokes. When Yuu silently gapes at him, Ace feigns innocence, putting a hand to his mouth. "Sorry, did you want it on the lips? I had no idea."

"No, asshole," Yuu cuts back, face beet red. She breaks out into a walk, bag bouncing against her leg. "Let's get to school already." 

"You can be more honest, you know," Ace jokes, laughing his usual mocking laugh. He follows her as they begin the long walk to class.

Yuu has been a reliable friend, a source of entertainment, and a fun conversation partner to Ace for these past six months. _I want to keep that_ , Ace thinks, _But maybe that_ _'friend' part can change._


End file.
